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Reynolds shares draft day with family

Reynolds shares draft day with family

PACIFICA, Calif. -- The scene at the Reynolds' home was a little different on Tuesday morning.

Walking past the white fence that outlined the grass, you could see baseball Christmas lights hanging from the roof and decorations of baseballs on the house.

It looked like Greg Reynolds' parents, Mike and Barbara, were preparing to host a neighborhood party for friends and family to watch the World Series.

But as you walked through the house that is a block away from Sharp Park Golf Course, nobody was crowding around the TV.

Greg Reynolds, a pitcher for Stanford Universtiy, was projected to be a top-five pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, and had about 20 of his closest friends and family at his parents' house to share the moment.

About 10 minutes before the draft started, Reynolds said that "the anticipation is getting to the highest level."

"I'm excited and very anxious to see how things play out," Reynolds said. "With whatever happens, I'm sure I'll be happy."

Before the draft, Reynolds said he had been contacted the most by the Colorado Rockies, who had the No. 2 pick, and the Pittsburgh Pirates at the No. 4 position.

As 10 a.m. PT creeped closer and closer, the group of Reynolds' closest friends and family crowded around a couch in front of a laptop computer in the family room gearing up to watch the draft on MLB.com.

"He's worked hard his whole life to get here," said father and Little League coach Mike Reynolds. "This is a lifetime experience that not many people get to have. Baseball has always been a family thing."

As MLB's Jimmie Lee Solomon appeared on the computer screen to announce the second pick, the room became quiet enough that you could hear their golden retriever Lacey walking through the house.

As Solomon said the words: "With the second pick of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, the Colorado Rockies select Greg Reynolds, right-handed pitcher, Stanford University," the Reynolds household went nuts.

After everyone celebrated, Greg Reynolds sat back in the couch with a huge smile on his face.

After everyone had cleared away from the computer and the first round was over, Reynolds was still in shock and happy that he was surrounded by family.

"It was a big rush of adrenaline [when my name was called]," Reynolds said. "Honestly, it's still not even close to sinking in. To here my name called on the second pick, I really can't describe what I was feeling.

"It was obviously very emotional. Hearing my best friends and my family cheering me on was an awesome experience. I was really happy that we were able to have everybody here."

Ryan Gordon also decided to make a toast after his little brother had become the highest draft pick from Stanford.

"I remember when [Greg] was 5 years old and I had him sign on a small piece of paper that said, 'I will give half of my signing bonus to my brother Ryan,'" said Ryan Gordon, who received a resounding laugh from the small crowd. "Congratulations, [you put] a lot of hard work and a lot of effort. [I have been on] a lot of flights and drives to go watch you pitch and it was all worth it. I'm so proud of you."

As Ryan became choked up, he embraced his 6-foot-7 younger brother with everyone clapping in the background.

"[The toast] was really special," Greg Reynolds said. "All of my brothers are pretty big guys, and they don't ever get emotional. To see them get choked up like that, it really showed me they have been a part of this journey. They have been there just as much as I have.

"Whether it was driving out of state just to see me pitch for one game or being there to play catch with me in high school, they've always been there. It was all wrapped up in that emotional toast, it was really special."

Greg's four brothers, Greg, Phil, Tim, Ryan and Jason, all grew up playing multiple sports in high school, and their mom said that it was special for them to be a part of.

"Everybody has played such a huge part in [Greg] growing up," Barbara Reynolds said. "They all loved watching him play. The brothers were the first ones to know that [Greg] was something special. They are all living vicariously through him."

Ryan Quinn is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.